You can view past planning consultations here, including representations received and a summary of the main issues raised.
Local Plan for submission 2035: plan for submission
This consultation is now closed.- Local Plan 2035: Plan for Submission
- Summary Leaflet
- Statement of Representations Procedure
- Sustainability Appraisal Report
- Sustainability Appraisal Report Appendices
- Sustainability Appraisal non-technical summary
- Supporting documents
In January 2018 we published a Plan for Submission for public consultation. The consultation was extended part way through the period and ended on 29 March 2018.
Representations
We received over 3,200 representations. These have been redacted for data protection purposes and they can be viewed using the links below.
Spreadsheet
Using this link you can see all of the representations made in policy and paragraph order. The main text of the representation is included on the spreadsheet but any attachments cannot be viewed. If you would like to read an original representation (including any attachments), note the BBC reference number and locate the document in the ‘originals’ list below.
Originals
Using this link you can view all of the original representations. They are listed in BBC reference number order. You can scroll down the list to find the number you are looking for or enter the number into the search function.
A summary of the main issues raised during the consultation has also been prepared. It is not intended that the summary lists all of the points made in the representations.
Consultation 2017
This consultation is now closed.
In April 2017 we issued a further consultation on a draft strategy for where future growth might be located in the borough, along with a series of site options to accommodate that growth and included four potential new settlements. This consultation was carried out between April and June 2017. We received 1,800 responses to the consultation. We have redacted these responses for data protection purposes and they can be viewed using the links below:
- Resident responses (organised by parish)
- Agent and consultant responses
- Land owner responses
- Other responses
A summary of key issues raised is available here.
The consultation paper 2017 and the accompanying documents can be viewed below for information:
- Consultation paper 2017
- Summary leaflet
- Updated Strategic Housing Market Assessment (October 2016)
- Updated Development Strategy and Site Selection Methodology (April 2017)
- Updated Rural Settlement Hierarchy Scoring Methodology (April 2017)
- New Settlements Assessment Framework Methodology and Initial Sites Assessment (April 2017)
- Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (April 2017)
- Education Implications for Local Plan 2035 (April 2017)
- Site Assessments and Potential Options for Allocation (April 2017)
- Local Green Space Assessment Methodology; and
- Initial Site Assessments (April 2017)
- Economy and Employment Topic Paper April 2017)
- Bedford Retail Study update (March 2017)
- Updated Commercial Leisure Needs Study (April 2017)
- Hotel Futures Update 2014 (addendum November 2016)
- Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (April 2017)
- Renewable Energy Resources Topic Paper (December 2016)
- Shopping Policies Topic Paper (March 2016)
- Second Addendum to Issues and Option Sustainability Appraisal (April 2017)
- Sustainability Appraisal of Sites (April 2017)
- Issues and Options Paper 2015 – Consultation Comments and Responses (April 2017)
- IPe (Intelligent Plans and Examinations) report to Bedford Borough Council (November 2016)
- Landscape Sensitivity Study; Group 1 and Group 2 Villages (April 2017)
Consultation 2016
Additional evidence to support Local Plan
The consultation invited comments on the following documents which will inform the development of policies and allocations in the Local Plan.
The documents were available for comment between 4th January and 29th February 2016.
This consultation is now closed.
- Bedford Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)
- Bedford Energy Efficiency Background Paper
- Bedford Water Resources Background Paper
- Bedford Borough Hotel Futures Update
- Bedford Visitor Accommodation Review
Please note that comments received will be made public and may be attributed to source.
Consultation 2015
This consultation invited comments on the general levels and distribution of development in the borough up to 2032. It also invited comments on a range of technical studies.
This consultation is now closed.
- Consultation paper 2015 - this is the summary document
- Settlement Hierarchy Scoring Methodology
- Settlement Hierarchy Scoring Matrix
- Development Strategy and Site Selection Methodology
- Bedford Town Centre Topic Paper
- Bedford Benchmarking - Sustainable Transport Report
- Bedford Retail Study
- Commercial Leisure Needs Study
- Objectively Assessed Need for Bedford
- Housing Market Area Report
- Economy and Employment Land Study
- Local Green Space Selection Methodology
- Addendum to Issues and Options Sustainability Appraisal
- 2014 Issues and Options Responses Summary
Consultation 2014
As a first step in deciding the plan's content, the Council consulted on an Issues and Options Paper. The consultation, which included a call for sites, ran from 13 January to 24 February 2014.
This consultation is now closed.
- Issues and Options Paper
- Leaflet summarising the main points of the Issues and Options Paper
- Sustainability Appraisal - Issues and Options Paper Report
- Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report
- The Town Centre Paper
- Bedford Borough Demographic Forecasts 2012-2032
The council requested details of potential development sites to be submitted through two separate 'call for sites' exercises (January 2014 and October 2015). In total approximately 640 sites have been submitted. Further information can be found here.
Other consultations
Town Centre South Development Framework Consultation
Under the One Public Estate (OPE) programme the council is developing a master plan for the Town Centre South area of Bedford. The master plan will help us shape the growth of the town including new homes, workspaces and shops.
The OPE programme's main aim is for the owners of public sector assets to work together to make better use of the combined assets. The master plan will provide options for housing development on sites with one or more public sector owners.
This process will assess the capacity and land use mix of development sites to help inform the emerging Bedford Borough Local Plan 2035 and the delivery of brownfield sites within the urban area of Bedford.
A consultation on the Bedford Masterplan Emerging Spatial options ran from 4 to 31 October 2017 and is now closed.
The Government's consultation on how to calculate housing need
On 14 September 2017 the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published its consultation Planning for the right homes in the right places. The consultation is the next step in delivering some of the proposals that were consulted on in the 2017 housing White Paper. It will lead to the first changes to the National Planning Policy Framework since it was issued in 2012. These changes will be the subject of further consultation in due course (anticipated early 2018).
Further details can be found at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/planning-for-the-right-homes-in-the-right-places-consultation-proposals
Of particular significance is the government's proposed standard methodology for assessing housing need. This is likely to impact on the number of homes the council will need to allocate in future. There is uncertainty about the timing and outcomes of the consultation and so for the moment the council is continuing work on the Local Plan 2035 on the basis of the current, known level of housing need which is 19,000 homes.